Modern-Aviation

The T-129 lightweight attack helicopter was jointly developed by AugustaWestland of Italy and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) of Turkey. This programme was intended to meet a Turkish armed forces requirement for a new attack and reconnaissance helicopter. In 2007 a contract was signed between AugustaWestland and TAI for development of the new attack helicopter. Originally 51 helicopters were ordered with an option for 40 more. Under the agreement Turkey has full marketing and intellectual property rights for the T-129. The first prototype made its first flight in 2009. First operational helicopters were entering service with the Turkish Army in 2013. By 2014 nine T-129 helicopters were delivered. Turkish Army also operates a fleet of ageing AH-1 Cobra and AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters and is in desperate need for new machines. The T-129 attack helicopter is also being offered for export.

The T-129 is a derivative of Italian A-129 Mangusta, modified to suit Turkish needs. It is being assembled in Turkey. This attack helicopter uses Turkish high-tech avionics, weapon systems, mission computer, self-protection suites and some other systems. The new helicopter also has upgraded engines, transmission and rotor blades. The T-129 is optimized to operate in hot climate and high altitudes.

The T-129 is a lightweight attack helicopter. It is much smaller and much lighter than contemporary US and Russian attack helicopters. It uses LHTEC CTS800-4N engines, that are manufactures in Turkey under license. It is a version of the T800 engine, developed by Rolls-Royce and Honeywell. The original engine was developed for the US RAH-66 Comanche stealthy reconnaissance and attack helicopter. After cancellation of the Comanche programme this engine found use on other helicopters. The Turkish helicopter has a five-blade main rotor system.

The T-129 gunship has a 20-mm three-barrel cannon in a nose turret. It can also carry Stinger air-to-air missiles or unoperated rockets. The T-129A is an initial production model. Nine of these helicopters were ordered to meet urgent operational requirement. All of these machines were delivered by 2014. Later production helicopters will be able to carry UMTAS advanced anti-tank missiles. These missiles were developed by Roketsan and are similar to Hellfire II. Later all T-129A helicopters are planned to be upgraded in order to carry these missiles.

Turkey also developed for this helicopter an advanced fire control radar. Development was completed in 2012. It is similar to US Longbow, used by the AH-64D. It allows to fire anti-tank guided missiles in fire-and-forget mode.

The TAI T-129 (ATAK) is a Turkish attack helicopter project aimed at supplying the Turkish Army with a modern battlefield performer to complement its existing armored and mechanized forces. The aircraft is based on the successful Italian AgustaWestland AW129 "Mangusta" ("Mongoose") serving with the Italian Army. Despite the obvious ties to the Italian concern and its AW129 design, the T-129 program is largely an indigenous Turkish endeavor headed up by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) with AgustaWestland being retained as the prime contractor (AgustaWestland designates the T-129 as the "AW729"). Aselsan, developer of Turkish military communications and electronics systems, is also onboard as a participating project contributor. First flight of the T-129 was recorded on September 28th, 2009 with development and flight testing ongoing as of this writing (2012). It is expected that the helicopter will achieve operational service sometime in 2013 barring any unforeseen delays. The engines will be locally-produced under license as well. The end-product will also be offered up for export as TAI will hold the rights to the finalized T-129 design. Saudi Arabia is a possible future customer of the T-129 despite their stock of American Hughes AH-64 Apache attack systems already in place (the Apache holds origins dating back to the 1970s). Several other nations have indicated their interest in acquiring the TAI product and up to three prototypes have been completed to date (2012).

Unable to generate much foreign interest for its new attack helicopter requirement, Turkish authorities inked an arrangement with the Italian concern of AgustaWestland to produce an evolved form of its Agusta A129 "Mangusta International" variant that introduced several notable - and beneficial - changes. The original A129 first flew in September of 1983 and was entering frontline service with the Italian Army by the end of the decade. The design marked a milestone in European aviation as it became the first wholly-European attack helicopter to be completed and accepted for operational service. The type has since soldiered on through approximately 60 examples delivered and the helicopter has taken part in several UN-related peace-keeping missions including action in Afghanistan following the fall of the Taliban after 9-11. A few varied forms of the A129 eventually emerged and among these was the A129 "International". This variant introduced a new five-bladed main rotor assembly as well as the M197 Gatling-type cannon coupled to a chin turret. LHTEC T800 series engines were installed and avionics were modernized to compensate for the ever-changing nature of the battlefield. Support for the American Hellfire ATGM and Stinger SAM missile systems was also brought to fruition. In September of 2007, the deal between Turkey and Agusta was finalized to bring the army an evolved form of the Italian product to be developed and produced in Turkey utilizing various locally-designed systems and subsystems in accordance with Turkish Army needs. The program would fall under the local designation of "ATAK" for obvious reasons.